Day 295: Mark 10-12

(The previous post covered the beginning of the resistance Jesus experienced from people and the religious leaders.)

Mark 10
¹ And he arose from thence and cometh into the borders of Judaea and beyond the Jordan: and multitudes come together unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

(The Pharisees, tempting/testing Jesus, began by asking Him about "putting away"…)

² And there came unto him Pharisees, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? trying him.

("Putting away" was a method of ending a Marriage Covenant and removing one of the spouses from the believing community because of unbelief. According to the Law, divorce was a method used by the husband to end a Marriage Covenant with both spouses remaining in the believing community and able to marry other believers: Deuteronomy 24. The question posed to Jesus concerned "putting away" and the Law. The Law gave directions concerning divorce. The Law did not give directions concerning putting away. That was what made it a "trying" question.

*Putting Away and Divorce are two different Doctrine.*)

³ And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
⁴ And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

(The Law did not say to write a bill of divorce and put away. Deuteronomy 24:1 said to write a bill of divorcement and send her out of your house. Deuteronomy 24:2 stated she could be another man's wife. So, the Pharisees were misquoting this part of the Law in their attempt to try/test Jesus.)

⁵ But Jesus said unto them, For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.

(Jesus referenced Deuteronomy 24:1-2 and taught: Divorce was given to us because our hearts are hard. Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross was also a solution to the hardness of our hearts. If people say that divorce is a sin, would these same people say Jesus' death on the cross was a sin?)

⁶ But from the beginning of the creation, Male and female made he them.
⁷ For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife;
⁸ and the two shall become one flesh: so that they are no more two, but one flesh.
⁹ What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

(Verses 6-9 covered how it ought to be. Believers ought to marry believers. God would be a part of this Marriage Covenant, meaning God would have joined this couple. Jesus then said that these marriages should not be "put asunder" by people, which meant "put away." Some people try to say that God joins every marriage and we should not divorce. Actually, this verse stated that Marriage between believers should not end with "putting away." Why?)

¹⁰ And in the house the disciples asked him again of this matter.
¹¹ And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her:
¹² and if she herself shall put away her husband, and marry another, she committeth adultery.

(The Disciples also wanted clarification in private. Jesus stated that God saw these believing spouses as still married! If they put each other away and then formed a "marriage covenant" (through sexual intercourse) with another person, God would consider it to be adultery because they were still married to the spouse they "put away."

*Putting Away and Divorce are two different Doctrine.*

Some versions translated "put away" as "divorce." Look at verses 11 and 12 as if Jesus had said "divorce":
-Verse 11 would then have "Jesus" stating that those who followed the Law (Deuteronomy 24:1-2) were sinning. Jesus would be stating that following the Law resulted in sin! That would make "Jesus" not the Son of God.
-Verse 12 would then have "Jesus" stating that women could divorce men under the Law, which meant "Jesus" did not know the Law, which meant "Jesus" was not the Son of God.

During that time, women could "put away" their husband for the cause of unbelief/idolatry. However, women could not divorce their husbands under the Law. Jesus was the Son of God and these verses were properly translated as "put away" instead of "divorce." Remember, divorce and putting away were different. Every version of the "Bible" that uses divorce in place of "putting away" in these verses are presenting a "Jesus" that is not the Son of God! Likewise, Malachi 2:16 had the same translation issues regarding divorce in place of "putting away.")

¹³ And they were bringing unto him little children, that he should touch them: and the disciples rebuked them.
¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me; forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God.
¹⁵ Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein.
¹⁶ And he took them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.

(Children are humble. We ought to be humble. Humility is being able to consider any perspective, including considering you are wrong. We are saved by grace through faith and grace only works through people who are humble. In fact, Jesus was approached about Salvation...)

¹⁷ And as he was going forth into the way, there ran one to him, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
¹⁸ And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good save one, even God.

(Good only comes from God, which was an indirect way for Jesus to point out He was the Son of God.)

¹⁹ Thou knowest the commandments, Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor thy father and mother.

(Jesus lived during the Dispensation of the Law. Salvation was by individuals being humble enough to be influenced by God through the Law.)

²⁰ And he said unto him, Teacher, all these things have I observed from my youth.
²¹ And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

(Jesus covered both Salvation and Reward. The man stated he was saved, so Jesus told him what he ought to do to be perfect (maximum profitability). First, Jesus stated that the man should sell all that he had and give it to the poor so that he would have treasure (Reward) in heaven. This was Just. Then, Jesus said to follow Him, take direction from Him, so that he would be saved. This was Right.

Some people leave out the phrase: "...and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:..." They present a Jesus that tells us to give, yet does not give anything in return. Jesus always gives us something more when He makes a request from us. Finally, remember Mark 5:18 when Jesus prevented the man possessed by Legion from following Him. Clearly, perfect depended on uniqueness and is not the same for everyone, otherwise Jesus prevented the man who published in Decapolis from being perfect. However, we can see that Jesus preventing him from following Him did lead to maximum profitability!)

²² But his countenance fell at the saying, and he went away sorrowful: for he was one that had great possessions.
²³ And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
²⁴ And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
²⁶ And they were astonished exceedingly, saying unto him, Then who can be saved?
²⁷ Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for all things are possible with God.

(This statement is often abused. Remember, God is always completely Right and always completely Just - He cannot be wrong or unjust. The context of the statement "with God all things are possible" was concerning rich men entering the Kingdom of God. Essentially, Jesus was saying, "yes, it is hard for rich people to enter the Kingdom of God but it is definitely still possible.")

²⁸ Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
²⁹ Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or lands, for my sake, and for the gospel's sake,
³⁰ but he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
³¹ But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

(Jesus told the Disciples that those who leave their loved ones and things for Christ's sake will receive Reward and come to eternal life.)

³² And they were on the way, going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going before them: and they were amazed; and they that followed were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them the things that were to happen unto him,
³³ saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests and the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him unto the Gentiles:
³⁴ and they shall mock him, and shall spit upon him, and shall scourge him, and shall kill him; and after three days he shall rise again.

(Jesus taught more details concerning His suffering.)

³⁵ And there come near unto him James and John, the sons of Zebedee, saying unto him, Teacher, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall ask of thee.
³⁶ And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?
³⁷ And they said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and one on thy left hand, in thy glory.
³⁸ But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink the cup that I drink? or to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
³⁹ And they said unto him, We are able. And Jesus said unto them, The cup that I drink ye shall drink; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
⁴⁰ but to sit on my right hand or on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for them for whom it hath been prepared.

(Believers will suffer as Christ suffered but sitting on His right and left hand were not His to give.)

⁴¹ And when the ten heard it, they began to be moved with indignation concerning James and John.
⁴² And Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they who are accounted to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great ones exercise authority over them.
⁴³ But it is not so among you: but whosoever would become great among you, shall be your minister;
⁴⁴ and whosoever would be first among you, shall be servant of all.
⁴⁵ For the Son of man also came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

(Jesus explained leadership more specifically. The greatest will be the ones who serve the most. Jesus came to serve, not to be served.)

(Verses 46-52: Jesus healed a blind man.)

⁴⁶ And they come to Jericho: and as he went out from Jericho, with his disciples and a great multitude, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the way side.
⁴⁷ And when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
⁴⁸ And many rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.

(Stating "son of David" was a confession of Jesus as the Messiah. The people surrounding the blind man tried to silence him.)

⁴⁹ And Jesus stood still, and said, Call ye him. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good cheer: rise, he calleth thee.
⁵⁰ And he, casting away his garment, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
⁵¹ And Jesus answered him, and said, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And the blind man said unto him, Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.
⁵² And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And straightway he received his sight, and followed him in the way.

(When Jesus called the blind man, the people surrounding the blind man encouraged him to go to Jesus. Jesus asked the blind man what he wanted so that he would state his will. Jesus then healed the man by faith and making a statement where the object of the healing was the subject of the statement.)




Mark 11
¹ And when they draw nigh unto Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth two of his disciples,
² and saith unto them, Go your way into the village that is over against you: and straightway as ye enter into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon no man ever yet sat; loose him, and bring him.
³ And if any one say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye, The Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him back hither.

(The timing of this chapter was one week before Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus sent two of the Disciples to get a donkey/colt.)

⁴ And they went away, and found a colt tied at the door without in the open street; and they loose him.
⁵ And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?
⁶ And they said unto them even as Jesus had said: and they let them go.

(All they had to say was that Jesus commanded them to get it and those who saw it let them go.)

⁷ And they bring the colt unto Jesus, and cast on him their garments; and he sat upon him.
⁸ And many spread their garments upon the way; and others branches, which they had cut from the fields.
⁹ And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
¹⁰ Blessed is the kingdom that cometh, the kingdom of our father David: Hosanna in the highest.

(The people referenced Psalm 118:26 and Isaiah 62:11 when they cried out "Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord..." They were confessing Jesus as the Messiah.)

¹¹ And he entered into Jerusalem, into the temple; and when he had looked round about upon all things, it being now eventide, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

(Jesus entered Jerusalem, looked at the temple, and then went outside the city to spend the night in Bethany.)

¹² And on the morrow, when they were come out from Bethany, he hungered.
¹³ And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season of figs.
¹⁴ And he answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit from thee henceforward for ever. And his disciples heard it.

(Jesus withered the fig tree that appeared to have fruit but actually had no fruit through making a statement.)

¹⁵ And they come to Jerusalem: and he entered into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and them that bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves;
¹⁶ and he would not suffer that any man should carry a vessel through the temple.
¹⁷ And he taught, and said unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? but ye have made it a den of robbers.

(Jesus referenced Jeremiah 7:11. Remember, prayer is the process for exchanging spiritual value with God. The money-changers were there to exchange physical value with other people. Jesus stopped people from exchanging physical value with each other and reminded them they ought to be praying to God. Jesus did not do this rashly. He had a day to think about this because He saw this the day before.)

¹⁸ And the chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, for all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.

(The scribes and chief priests sought to destroy Jesus because the people were astonished at His Doctrine. Once again, Jesus proved the religious leaders were not following God's Doctrine.)

¹⁹ And every evening he went forth out of the city.
²⁰ And as they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots.
²¹ And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
²² And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
²³ Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it.
²⁴ Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
²⁵ And whensoever ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any one; that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
²⁶ But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
²⁷ And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders;
²⁸ and they said unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? or who gave thee this authority to do these things?

(The Disciples noticed the fig tree was withered. Next, Jesus was asked about how He received His authority: the identities of the two Semikah's who laid their hands on Him.)

²⁹ And Jesus said unto them, I will ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
³⁰ The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men? answer me.

(God and John the Baptist were the two Semikah's at Jesus' Baptism: Matthew 3:17. Before Jesus would tell them God was one of the Semikah's, He wanted to know if they recognized John the Baptist as a Semikah.)

³¹ And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; He will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
³² But should we say, From men--they feared the people: for all verily held John to be a prophet.
³³ And they answered Jesus and say, We know not. And Jesus saith unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

(They did not answer and neither did Jesus, at least not blatantly. Jesus did answer them by His question. John the Baptist was one of the Semikah Rabbis that Jesus received His authority from and John the Baptist also received his authority from God.)




Mark 12

(Verses 1-11: the Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen.)

¹ And he began to speak unto them in parables. A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a pit for the winepress, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country.
² And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruits of the vineyard.
³ And they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
⁴ And again he sent unto them another servant; and him they wounded in the head, and handled shamefully.
⁵ And he sent another; and him they killed: and many others; beating some, and killing some.
⁶ He had yet one, a beloved son: he sent him last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.
⁷ But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.
⁸ And they took him, and killed him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard.
⁹ What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.
¹⁰ Have ye not read even this scripture: The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner;
¹¹ This was from the Lord, And it is marvellous in our eyes?

(The man with the vineyard was God, the husbandmen were the Pharisees, the servants who were persecuted were the prophets of God, the man's son was Christ. Jesus referenced Psalm 118:22-23.)

¹² And they sought to lay hold on him; and they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spake the parable against them: and they left him, and went away.

(The Pharisees knew the parable was against them so they sought to lay their hands on Jesus but they feared the people.)

¹³ And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, that they might catch him in talk.

(Next, the religious leaders worked with the government in an attempt to catch Jesus in His words.)

¹⁴ And when they were come, they say unto him, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and carest not for any one; for thou regardest not the person of men, but of a truth teachest the way of God: Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
¹⁵ Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why make ye trial of me? bring me a denarius, that I may see it.
¹⁶ And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's.
¹⁷ And Jesus said unto them, Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's. And they marvelled greatly at him.

(Jesus answered the question by bringing resolution to the difference between the spiritual and the physical.)

¹⁸ And there come unto him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

(The Sadducees tempted/tested Jesus.)

¹⁹ Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave a wife behind him, and leave no child, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
²⁰ There were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed;
²¹ and the second took her, and died, leaving no seed behind him; and the third likewise:
²² and the seven left no seed. Last of all the woman also died.
²³ In the resurrection whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.
²⁴ Jesus said unto them, Is it not for this cause that ye err, that ye know not the scriptures, nor the power of God?
²⁵ For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as angels in heaven.

(The resurrection will not have individual marriages. However, Jesus said the Sadducees err and do not know the scriptures or the power of God. What did the Sadducees not understand?)

²⁶ But as touching the dead, that they are raised; have ye not read in the book of Moses, in the place concerning the Bush, how God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
²⁷ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living: ye do greatly err.

(Jesus focused on the tense of one word. Jesus said these Sadducees err because they did not correctly understand the tense of one word in scripture.)

²⁸ And one of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, What commandment is the first of all?

(One of the scribes asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment.)

²⁹ Jesus answered, The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one:
³⁰ and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.
³¹ The second is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

(Jesus stated the greatest of the commandments. First Command: Love God with your whole being: emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically (respectively). Second Command: Love your neighbor as yourself.

During this time there were "great debates" regarding what was the "greatest" of the commandments. The debates were really an attempt to find out which commandment would be the cause of the others. Jesus stated that the First Command was the cause and the Second Command was the effect. This would make these two commandments one: halves of a whole.)

³² And the scribe said unto him, Of a truth, Teacher, thou hast well said that he is one; and there is none other but he:
³³ and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is much more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.

(The scribe said that Jesus spoke the truth. The scribe stated "understanding" in the place of "mind." He recognized loving God with your whole being was the cause and was more than offerings and sacrifices.)

³⁴ And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

(Jesus saw this scribe answering discreetly (wisely) and said he was not far from the Kingdom of God - eternal Salvation. Jesus' conclusion caused everyone to stop asking questions. So, Jesus had a question...)

³⁵ And Jesus answered and said, as he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that the Christ is the son of David?
³⁶ David himself said in the Holy Spirit, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.
³⁷ David himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

(Jesus referenced Psalm 110:1 and asked a question about scripture that focused on the definition of a word: Lord. Notice, Jesus asked a question focused on a definition, which was a why. Earlier in this chapter, we saw Jesus focused on the tense of a word, which was a how/context. Jesus was very focused on the why and how of the what, which was the Word of God.)

³⁸ And in his teaching he said, Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and to have salutations in the marketplaces,
³⁹ and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts:
⁴⁰ they that devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation.

(A warning against the scribes who sought glory from man.)

⁴¹ And he sat down over against the treasury, and beheld how the multitude cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
⁴² And there came a poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing.
⁴³ And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than all they that are casting into the treasury:
⁴⁴ for they all did cast in of their superfluity; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

(This chapter concluded with another example of Jesus focused on the how and why instead of the what:
-What: The widow gave "two mites." A mite was worth about 1/5 of a cent.
-How: it was all she had.
-Why: she gave all she had because she loved God with all her being.)

(This post covered the opposition from the religious leaders to the point they planned on killing Jesus.)

Day 296